Hand out from Woman weekend.

Woman's Discipleship Weekend 2014

Brianne Alley

briannealley@gmail.com

How did you get to Washington Family Ranch?

After graduating college in Dec 2005, I was going to become a YL leader, but the Lord called me to live with my sister and her kids in South Dakota followed by several months with my mom in Iowa. I figured that YL was not in my future anymore. After months of looking for a job, my friend, who did YL in NM called and said she found me a job in OR, at a YL camp. It was with a ministry that partners with Washington Family Ranch called Mark 2. Mark 2 is a ministry to people with disabilities and I had always had a desire to work with people with similar and different disabilities than I do. I got the job and moved sight unseen with one suitcase and hopes for a better life with new experiences and better weather. That was in January of 2007 and I've been here ever since.  My family did not think I be here this long.

What does your life look like here at the Ranch?

As I mentioned I work at Mark 2, a ministry here at the Ranch with adult with disabilities who volunteer here to help make this a beautiful place where campers or guests can come and experience Christ . When I came I work full time as a Job Coach for 5 years. About 2 years ago I realized full time work was too taxing on my body. The Lord opened the door for me to go to part-time at Mark 2 and now I am a Daily Living Coach. Part of my job is to do the fun community things with the friends that Mark 2 supports.

I feel like my life experience with a disability allows me to connect with the friends that I work with in a real tangible way as I can relate to many of their struggles, feelings and experiences. I love that I can see God using my disability to help others. God has blessed me with a community here that sees me without my disability. They value my disability, but they don't define me by my disability. They see me as Brianne, a friend, a co-worker, a Ranch community member and a sister in Christ. I had never experienced this type of belonging before moving here...to the middle of nowhere.

 

What has God been teaching you these last two years?

Growing up with a disability, the enemy told me that I didn't have value and that I was not worthy of other people's time. I grew up with depression and anxiety. I hated that I was disabled. I grew up around a lot of people who would make fun of me and I always felt like a inconveniences to others. I had a lot of people that didn't want to take the time to get to know me or hang out with me.

I started going to doctors as soon as I was born. Doctors were scary for me, and I felt insecure about taking up their time. I felt like my doctors dismissed me, my disability and my depression. I always questioned if I was even important enough to have someone help me. I often wondered if I could even be helped. It wasn't until recently that I have even begun to see myself as valuable “A daughter of the King” and worthy of doing what is best for me and creating a team of people to help me overcome some of these fears and old tapes of negative thinking.

I got to this point because I was working full time for Mark 2 and it was more than my body could handle and I began to be more depressed. I gained 35 pound because I lost my motivation to exercise and food seemed to fill an emotional need. I have struggled with food all my life. Food has been my companion, my friend. I didn't always have a lot of friends, but I had food. It finally became a problem when I didn't have motivation to exercise or really do much at all. That's when the weight piled on.

#2 Bri, how did you create a team to help you take this monumental step in putting yourself and your health first.


It was hard to start. I came up with many reasons not to call someone to help me. I thought “I'm not that bad,” I can't afford it, it is too far to drive, and I can't take time off work. It was an emotional roller coaster as I wrestled with Satan about my value and worthiness of being helped.

After much encouragement from my friends and prayer I got the courage to call and see a PT for some foot pain about two years ago. She suggested that I go see a PM&R Dr. Again, I wrested with Satan about going to see Dr. Paulson. It was so hard because I didn't think I was important enough to see someone for help. But I stepped out in faith and trusted the Lord that this was where He was leading me. It was really hard and I was terrified. The first time going to see Dr. Paulson, he spent the whole hour with me, and went over every detail of my body and how it was working. Though his words and in his actions, he made me feel important and that it was good that I came to see him. He then proceed to tell me that I needed to loose weight, because with my CP it was not good for my bones and joints to be as big as I was. At that time I was 175 lbs. I told him I love food! He suggested that I go to see a nutritionist. He also suggest that I start riding my bike 30 min/day. My nutritionist taught me how to count carbs, instead of calories. She helped me learn not to give up sweets, but to count the carbs in them and use portion control. The hardest part was going home, getting on the bike and just starting. That day started this two year journey of losing weight.

#3 How have you kept going in your journey to a healthier body, mind and spirit?





The girls getting close to the finish line

One night I was watching The Biggest Loser, I saw these kids doing a 5k. I thought I want to do that. So after calling my friend Ward (my PT from high school), he told me that if I started small, he thought I could work my way up to a 5k. So I set a goal to walk a 5k at spring break in Reno with him and his family. I started to go to the Sport Center and walking on the treadmill. At first I only could go about 1.2 speed, but the more I did it the faster I got and the longer I could go. Ward told me that if I could get to 2 miles, then I could easily do a 5k. During this time, I realize how much better I felt and how much better my walking was. I was walking a lot straighter and taller, which for me was very important. I also notice the pounds falling off my body and eventually I lost 30 lbs. In March 2014 I flew down to Reno and did my 5k with Ward, his family, and his co-workers. My training had paid off and I accomplished my goal.



One of the most important things the Lord has taught me during this process is that He gave me this body and CP and that I need to take of it. The Scripture that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Don't you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God. You must honor God with your body.”.

I have learned that it is important for me with CP to workout to stay healthy for my lifetime. One benefit of starting to exercise has been the difference I've seen in my walking. I walk much straighter and this helps me present myself the way I believe God sees me. I feel so much better. My confidence has grown so much since moving to the Ranch. I now can say that I love who God created me to be, and I am thankful for the body He choose me to have, CP and all!!! I am worthy! With God's help I believe I have been able to do something that I never dreamed was possible. If I can do this even with a disability...you can do what God is asking you to do in your journey too.

If you would like to know more about Mark 2 Ministries where Brianne is involved in here at Washington Family Ranch. Check out their website at www.mark2inc.com.